Electrical connector



June 4, 1940.

F. w. MEBOLD ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed March 27, 1939 #1 ATTORNEY Patented June 4, 1940 UNITED STATES ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Frederick W. Mebold, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to James R. Kearney Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application March 27, 1939, Serial No. 264,364

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to clamping devices and more specifically to clamping devices of the type known in the electrical industry as connectors and intendedfor use in mechanically and electrically connecting together a plurality of electrical conductors, the predominant object of the invention being to provide a device of this type which is of extremely simple construction and arrangement and is capable of performing its intended function in a highly efI'icient manner.

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the improved connector showing same as it appears when a pair of electrical conductors is connected with the aid thereof.

' Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the connector and electrical conductors illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective'of a seat forming a part of the improved connector.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section of the improved connector illustrating the manner in which the seat thereof is introduced in place in the connector construction.

Fig, 5 is a vertical section taken through the improved connector showing the seat thereof arranged in place.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on line 66 of Fig. 5. I

In the drawing, wherein is shown for the purpose of illustration, merely, one embodiment of the invention, A designates the improved connector generally. The connector A includes a body portion I that comprises a boss portion 2 from which is extended an enclosed loop portion 3, said loop portion being closed at one end by the boss portion 2 and at its opposite end by a substantially V-shaped end wall 3' the divergent inner faces of which provide a seat for one of the wires being connected with the aid of the connector as shown in Fig. l. The boss portion 2 and the loop portion 3 of the body portion I preferably, though not necessarily, are formed integral, and, as shown in Fig. 1, the side walls of the loop portion are substantially straight and parallel. The boss portion 2 of the body portion I has an opening 4 formed therethrough, the. wall of which is screwthreaded, and the diameter of this opening is such that fragments of screwthreads are formed in'the opposite side walls of the loop portion 3 by the thread-cutting device employed to tap said opening 4 as indicated at 5 in Figs. 1, 4, 5, and 6.

Arranged in the opening 4 is the screwthreaded shank of a clamping element 6, said clamping element being provided at one end with noncircular head '1 adapted to receive a suitable tool for rotating the clamping element, and at its opposite end said clamping element being provided with an end portion 3 of reduced diameter in which an annular groove 9 is formed. Associ- 5 ated with the lower end portion of the clamping element 6 is a wire seat H] which is formed from a strip of metal, or other suitable mate-rial that possesses resiliency. The wire seat It, as shown to the best advantage in Fig. 3, comprises a main 1o portion Illa. and opposed, inwardly bent wing portions lllb located at opposite ends of said main portion, the wing portions itb being spaced slight- 1y from the adjacent face of the main portion Illa. The wire seat I0 is applied to the lower 15 end of the clamping element 6 by introducing the inner edge portion of one of the wing portions lllb into the annular groove 9 at one side of the portion 8 of the clamping element 6' and then, displacing the other wing portion 10b to permit 20 its inner edge portion to be introduced into said annular groove at the opposite side of the portion 8 of the clamping element. When the inner edge portions of both of the wing portions "lb of the wire seat H3 have been introduced in 25 the annular groove 8 a slight tilting of the wire seat, aided by the resiliency thereof, will cause said wire seat to assume its normal position with respect to the clamping element 6, as shown in Fig. 5. 30

In the use of the improved connector the clamping element 6 is drawn outwardly the distance required to permit the conductors to be connected to be introduced into the loop portion 3 of the connector as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 wherein 35 the conductors are designated by the reference characters Ca and Ch. The clamping element 6 is then screwed inwardly relative to the body portion of the connector to cause the seat ID to contact with the conductor Ca and securely clamp 40 the conductors Ca. and Ch between said seat It] and the inner inclined face portions of the end wall 3' of the loop portion 3 of the body portion of the connector whereby firm mechanical and good electrical connection between the conduc- 45 tors will be obtained. It is to be noted that the wire seat It! moves in a straight line between the side walls of the loop portion 3 of the connector body portion when the clamping element 6 is rotated to move it inwardly and outwardly rel- 5o ative to said connector body portion, the connection between the: wire seat and the clamping element provided by the extension of the edge portions of the wings Illb of the wire seat into the annular groove 9 of the clamping element 55 permitting rotary movement of the clamping element with respect to the wire seat.

The importance of the Wire seat I is that it prevents the marring of the adjacent conductor which would result if the inner end of the clamping element were moved directly into clamping relation with the conductor as has been the case heretofore. This is particularly true in the case of a stranded conductor such as that designated by the reference character Ca, as the forcible contact of the end of a clamping element with such a conductor frequently does considerable damage to the conductor. Another advantage flowing from the presence of the wire seat is that said seat prevents the clamping element from being unintentionally completely unscrewed from the body portion of the connector. Also because of the fragmentary continuations 5 of the screwthreads of the opening 4 in the side walls of the loop portion 3 of the connector body portion 1!,

the clamping element is in positive engagement with said side walls when conductors are connected with the aid of the connector whereby a much more rigid relationship between the clamping element and the body portion of the clamp is obtained.

This is a continuationin-part of an application filed in my name on March 22, 1937, Serial No. 132,205.

I claim:

1. A connector comprising a body portion which includes a conductor-embracing portion and a boss portion, said boss portion having a screwthreaded opening formed therein, a screwthreaded clamping element supported in said screwthreaded opening with its inner end portion disposed within the conductor-embracing portion of said-body portion, a seat attached to said inner end portion of said screwthreaded clamping element in such manner that said screwthreaded clamping element may rotate relative to said seat, said inner end portion of said screwthreaded clamping element having an annular groove formed therein, and portions forming parts of said seat which are springingly extended into said annular groove.

2. A connector comprising a body portion which includes a conductor-embracing portion and a boss portion, said boss portion having a screw threaded opening formed therein, a screwthreaded clamping element supported in said screwthreaded opening with its inner end portion disposed within the conductor-embracing portion of said body portion, a seat attached to said inner end portion of said screwthreadedclamping element in such manner that said screwthreaded clamping element may rotate relative to said seat, said inner end portion of said screwthreaded clamping element having an annular groove formed therein, said seat comprising a strip of spring metal, and portions formed on said seat which constitute bent portions of the strip of spring metal of which the seat is formed and which are extended into said annular groove.

3. A connector comprising a body portion which includes a conductor-embracing portion and a boss portion, said boss portion having a screwthreaded opening formed therein, a screwthreaded clamping element supported in said screwthreaded opening with its inner end portion disposed within the conductor-embracing portion of said body portion, a seat attached to said inner end portion of said screwthreaded clamping element in such manner that said screwthreaded clamping element may rotate relative to said seat, said inner end portion of said screwthreaded clamping element having an annular groove formed therein, said seat comprising a strip of spring metal, and portions formed on said seat which constitute bent portions of the strip of spring metal of which the seat is formed and which are springingly extended into said annular groove.

4. A connector comprising a body portion which includes a conductor-embracing portion having ed opening of said boss portion with its inner end portion disposed within the conductor-embracing portion of said body portion, screwthreads of said clamping. element being adapted for engagement with the fragments of screwthreads formed at the inner faces of said opposed, substantially parallel walls of said body portion, and a seat attached to the inner end portion of said screwthreaded clamping element in such manner that said screwthreaded clamping element may rotate relative to said seat.

FREDERICK W. MEBOLD. 

